The invention relates to a lighting device, particularly a lamp, particularly for installation in or on a motor vehicle.
In automobile construction, lamps are often used for different series from the same manufacturer and meet different functional requirements, for example when used as a cosmetic mirror or for illuminating storage compartments or a footwell in the vehicle.
Individual examples of such lamps are known from the documents DE 10 2005 037 320 B3, DE 20 2006 003 757 U1 and DE 10 2005 024 838 A1.
It has been found to be disadvantageous in practice that the structure for holding a known lamp needs to have a comparatively large physical depth of several centimeters and, furthermore, the removal of the heat produced by the lamp requires extensive refinement of the structure, which takes up further installation space. As a measure for adaptation to suit the reduced installation space, it has been customary to date to reduce the usable depth of other vehicle components arranged adjacent to the lamp, such as map cases.
A further drawback of the prior art is that appropriate mechanisms need to be provided which allow replacement of the light source for the lamp, for example an incandescent lamp.
The object of the invention is thus to propose remedial measures for the problem described above.
The object is achieved by a lighting device having a light guiding element and a light source for mounting in or on a motor vehicle, wherein the light guiding element has a light entry face, wherein the light guiding element has a light exit face, and wherein the depth of the lighting device perpendicular to the light exit face corresponds essentially fully to the depth of the light guiding element. This allows the lighting device to be designed to be particularly shallow (i.e. of little physical depth), since only the depth of the light guiding element is provided as the depth of the entire lighting device. Further installation space—for example for a further housing or a light bulb holder or the like—is not required.